Device for holding garment hangers

ABSTRACT

PCT No. PCT/GB93/01389 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 9, 1995 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 9, 1995 PCT Filed Jul. 1, 1993 PCT Pub. No. W093/24219 PCT Pub. Date Dec. 9, 1993A device for holding garment hangers is described which has two parts: one preferably inflexible hook part made of plastics material or metal shaped to be carried by a rail and a flexible loop or strap or series of loops, adapted to receive many garment hangers. The two parts are connected flexibly and the loop may be adjusted to alter its separation from a rail. The device allows more garments to be hung from a single rail than previously was possible and is particularly useful in the transport and storage of garments in shops, warehouses and factories. Two devices may be interlocked across a handler&#39;s shoulders.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to devices for holding garment hangers,particularly for hanging garments on a rail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The number of garments which can be hung on any one rail istraditionally limited by the bulk of the hangers used. The modern trendfor shoulder pads in many garments also adds to the bulk and reduces thespace available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a devicecomprising a first part, preferably in the form of a hook, shaped andadapted to be carried by a rail, and a second part comprising a loopadapted to support a plurality of garment hangers so as to increase thenumber of hangers which can be carried by the rail.

Preferably, the second part is flexibly connected to the first part andmay itself be flexible and in the form of a strap and is adjustable toalter the separation of the loop from a rail carrying the first part.

The flexible strap may comprise a plurality of loops.

In one embodiment, the first part is a hook in the form of a closed loopfor permanent attachment to a rail. Alternatively it comprises a latchedelement to resist inadvertent displacement from a rail.

Preferably the first part is made of an inflexible, strong material suchas a plastics material or metal.

A device according to the invention is particularly useful in shops,warehouses and factories though it can also be used in domesticsituations.

It is also useful in the transport of garments, either carried by a railin a van or to facilitate carrying many garments by hand. For exampletwo devices may be interlocked across a handler's shoulder. FIG. 1ashows the inventive device with an adjustable loop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1, in use, in perspective view;

FIG. 3 shows the device of FIG. 1 in use on a rail together withtraditional garment hangers; and

FIG. 4 shows two alternative embodiments of the device of the invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show alternative forms of the hooked portion of thedevice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device 1 of FIG. 1 has a hooked portion 2 made of rigid plasticsmaterial with a flexible strap 3 attached. The flexible strap forms aclosed loop passing through hole 4 in hooked portion 2 and fastened witha rivet 5. The rivet 5 may alternatively be a latched fastening fastenerand may be adjustable to allow adjustment of the position of the looprelative to the hooked portion 2 and thus to a rail from which garmentsare to be hung, as shown in FIG. 1a. The loop could also be formed bystitching the strap.

FIG. 2 shows the device 1 hung on a rail 6 with several traditionalgarment hangers 7 supported in the loop of the strap 3.

The advantage of the device 1 can be seen in FIG. 3 where its use onrail 6, already crowded with traditional hangers 7, enables several(here five) more garment hangers 7 to be supported than would bepossible without the device 1.

FIG. 4 shows two alternative embodiments of the device 1a and 1b, eachcomprising three loops 8 for supporting yet more garment hangers thanwould traditionally be possible on rail 6. In device 1a, the loops 8comprise separate sections of flexible strap riveted onto a length ofstrap 3 supported by hooked portion 2. In device 1b, the loops 8 areformed by riveting together a double length of strap 3 at spacedlocations.

A device according to the invention is particularly versatile. Forexample, two devices can be attached together by the hooked portions andhung over a handler's shoulder enabling the handler to carry severalgarments in front and several behind yet still have his hands free.

When the device 1 is used on a rail, a second rail can be hung below thefirst by insertion into loops of two spaced devices. Alternatively, theflexibility of the strap 3 enables the loops to be twisted so that arail may be hung perpendicular to and between two parallel rails, forexample in a van.

The hooked portion may be an open hook as shown in FIGS. 1-4 or may beclosed for permanent mounting on a rail as shown in FIG. 5, or may acomprise a latched element to resist inadvertent detachment from therail as shown in FIG. 6.

The strap 3 is preferably made from a strong webbing material and couldbe made detachable from the hook portion so that worn straps could beperiodically and easily replaced and/or washed.

The looped portion for holding the garment hangers could alternativelybe made of a solid plastics material.

I claim:
 1. A device for holding garment hangers, the devicecomprising:a first part formed of substantially rigid plastics materialand being in the form of a hook having an arcuate lower surface shapedand adapted to be carried directly on a rail, the arcuate lower surfacebeing smooth so as to slide on the rail adjacent to garment hangers hungdirectly on the rail, the first part further having a ring spaced fromthe hook, the ring having a curved upper internal surface to facilitatecarrying a plurality of garments by hand; and a second part comprising aloop in the form of a strap of flexible webbing attached to the firstpart through the ring, the loop having two parallel side walls extendinggenerally in the same plane as the hook, and providing adapted toprovide lateral support for garment hangers in the loop to keep them inan orientation substantially parallel to the garment hangers hungdirectly on the rail, so as to increase the number of hangers which canbe carried by the rail.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein thesecond part further comprises adjustable means for altering the distancebetween the second part and the first part.
 3. A device according toclaim 1, wherein the second part comprises a plurality of loops.
 4. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein the first part is a hook in theform of a closed loop for permanent attachment to a rail.
 5. A deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the first part further comprises a latchedelement for resisting inadvertent displacement from a rail.
 6. A methodof hanging garments from a rail, comprising hanging the hook of a deviceaccording to claim 1 on the rail, and supporting at least one garmenthanger in the loop of the device.
 7. A method of hanging garments from arail, comprising hanging two devices according to claim 1, at spacedpositions on a rail, and suspending a second rail by means of the loopsof the two spaced devices.